This invention relates to an apparatus for controlling an engine such as an internal combustion engine and more particularly to an engine control apparatus having a learning control function.
An engine control apparatus having a learning control function is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-59-180048. As is clear from the disclosure of this publication, in the conventional engine control apparatus having the learning control function, irregularity in the characteristics of the engine per se, and the irregularity and secular variation in characteristics of sensors adapted to detect the status of the engine, are corrected using a learning control function. In this way, various controllable quantities, such as for example air/fuel ratio and ignition timing, can be controlled optimumly.
In the conventional engine control apparatus as exemplified in the aforementioned publication, however, the control speed for learning control is unchangeable and it takes a long time to obtain optimum engine control through the learning control.
The control speed for learning control is desired to be high during a predetermined condition thereby placing the engine in an optimumly controlled condition through the learning control within a short period of time following the commencement of use by the user.